Objective
Using diffusion tensor MRI (DTI), to investigate the microstructural abnormality of corticospinal tract in the cerebral palsied children with periventricular leukomalacia on conventional MRI and to recognize the clinical usefulness of DTI.

Method: Seven patients were studied. DTI was peformed using 1.5T MR scanner (Vision Plus, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) and fractional anisotropies of corona radiata, posterior limbs of internal capsules, and cerebral peduncles of midbrain in both hemisphere were calculated.

Results: The fractional anisotropy was significantly decreased in all corona radiata, posterior limbs of internal capsules, cerebral peduncles of midbrain in six patients except one hemiplegic patient, compared with that of control group. In in the hemiplegic patient, the fractional anisotropy was reduced only in affected hemisphere. In addition, the fractional anisotropy tended to be also increased as gross motor function measure (GMFM) score was increased.

Conclusion: We believe that DTI may be efficient in evaluating microstructural abnormality on the motor pathway of brain and helpful in providing prognosis of clinical findings in cerebral palsied children with periventricular leukomalacia. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2003; 27: 340-343)